Student Engineer June 2009n

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Editorial Board Eyinda Samuel

Editor In Chief Obiko Edward

Managing Director Samo Obanda

Associate Editor Angela Hiuhu

Associate Editor CONTRIBUTIONS BY Masika Hamisi Gabriel Habwe Josiah Bett Raymond V aY n Graphic Designer A journal of the Engineering Students’ Association c/o The Dean, School of Engineering, University of Nairobi P.O. Box 30197 Nairobi [email protected] Feedback and correspondence should be addressed to the Editorial Board. Views expressed in this journal are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the association. To Advertise in The Student Engineer, contact Alphonce on +254726996696.

copyright Student Engineer 2009 Reproduction of any article in part or in full is strictly prohibited without permission from from The Engineering Sudents’ Association

Editor In Chief

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’m impressed by the feedback we have got from our readers, both the criticism and the encouragement are indications of a general acceptance. For the past one year that the current editorial board has been in office, ranks have been broken and links created, Norms ignored and new rules put in place, all to come up with your current Student Engineer Journal. As we, the outgoing editorial board, celebrate our third and final edition as a sign of how far the journal has come, the new team has no alternative but to focus on the future. The core function of the journal has remained linkage between the students, lecturers and the industrialists. The extent by which this has been achieved is for you the readership to decide. It’s however with much pleasure that I wish to inform that our efforts have won us recognition as not only the best student journal in Eastern Africa but also among the

best technological journals in the region. The student engineer was not the only good thing happening to the school of engineering. The fabrication laboratory also landed. Situated at the ground floor of the mechanical engineering department until otherwise decided, Fablab is expected to offer a great practical learning experience in engineering fabrication. Read on about it on our feature story. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to all those who have made this edition a success; our sponsors for their unwavering support and members of the editorial board for their hard work and dedication. Special thanks to Eng. Archie McCorkindale and finally congratulations to our readers, because without you, it would not have happened.

Enjoy the April-June issue of the Student Engineer.

Eyinda M. Samuel

Send in feedback via [email protected]

In This Issue News Profile Feature Editorial

Nyao Car, Again? Ericsson Career Day Pascal Katana - Inventor

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Interview With David Svarre The C.E.O Of Digital Age Institute Fablab Microsoft S2B

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Regulars Your Say

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Engineering Woman

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Student Activities Arts

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Pictorial

25 “The Fablab Is To Hardware What Open Source Is To Software”- Neil Gershenfield, Page 13 3

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From The Dean

I look back to the humble beginnings of this magazine, I must appreciate and commend the strides that have Someone made a statement to the effect that “if you want to hide something from Kenyans, put it in print”. The implication of this statement is that many Kenyans do not read! I cannot vouch for the truth of this statement; however it is my desire and hope that this magazine will carry such articles that will inspire us to keep reading it. This is indeed a serious challenge for the editorial board, but looking at what has been done, I would like to believe that the board is up to the job. I would like to see issues brought up in the magazine that inspire “upcoming engineers” to think and dream innovation and enterprise as we focus on the “vision 2030”. Let this magazine be the medium through which the aspirations for the future can be ventilated; who knows, some ideas may take root and bear fruit for the betterment of the lives of wananchi. s

been made towards bringing about the improvements that have been achieved.

The Inbox

Prof. Patts M. A. Odira

hats up the student engineer? Big up for the good job you have been doing in keeping the students abreast of the industry W happenings. I however wish to take issue with some of your articles. To be particular the article on on Mau Forest and the electric

car in your previous issue. One cant help realizing that this is some bunch of downloaded material from the Internet. My honest opinion is that you should advise your writers to employ some originality in their writing. Kelvin Omolo Mechanical engineering 2nd year.

I agree that some of the articles you read have partly been phished from the internet. The internet is a vast source of information through which some of our writers come across this information and interpret it on our journal. We challenge you to also contribute to the better content to avoid this sort of dilution. he excellent job being done by the editorial board of the student engineer journal can not pass unmentioned. I have read your T last two editions and I cant wait to see whats on the pink column of the Engineering woman in your next edition. I suggest that you go a step further and include female Engineers in your interview section. Keep up the good job!

Victoria Bwatuti Electrical engineering 4rth year.

C ongratulations the student engineer for being true to the students and always delivering on time your editions of the journal. I however think that your journal does not give a balanced coverage across all the five departments at the school of engineering.

Massive coverage seems to be awarded to the departments of Electrical and Bio systems while the other departments get not more than one page. Please look in to that. Ng'ethe samuel, Geospatial and Space Technology 5th year.

The issue of balance has bugged us through the last three editions. We wish to call upon the students to help us fix this once and for all. This is a student journal and 60% of what is published comes from the students. It is your responsibility as students to send in articles to be featured for your respective departments. have been thrilled by the writer of Civil Engineering articles in your last two editions. One gets a feeling that including such an Iindividual in a policy making position will set things on track for our country. I look forward to his next piece and kudos to the student engineer journal for providing a platform on which to air these crucial matters.

Ouso J. A., Civil Engineering 3rd year.

your publication is still going strong. Food for thought: How do we use the publication to ‘increase interest in technology Iskillshopeamong the youth? Hope to read from you.

G.P. Kalerwa, National Council for Science and Technology

Thank you for the enquiry Mr. Kalerwa. What we have been doing is highlighting success stories of the few youth who’ve gone the technology path. It is our hope and desire that these stories will inspire the youth towards the same path. We are however open to suggestions from your side. Send your feedback via [email protected]

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Sine Qua Non K Samo

ierkegaard once noted, “If you take paradox away from a thinker, you will get a professor.”

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o sine qua non. A new world order is in the offing, a new world order. A world where ‘open’ is the new safety on the trigger, a world of enlightenment, and a world akin to Delacroix’s 1830 masterpiece; liberty leading mankind. Step aside Napoleon, Hello Revolution and yet sine qua non. The Curious case of Benjamin within me was awakened when I came across footage of Sarah Palin Miss Drill Baby Drill, yes the one who held the trigger finger last year when it came to Energy issues for The Republican Party giving a speech on how Alaska has been affected by the rush for oil by Blood Hungry Oil Companies, excuse the non-existent pun. Politics, people is a fool’s mouthpiece. Yet, we politic, it’s the Unofficial National Sport. It’s like cocaine and we are Coca Cola before it was banned, it spews forth from our every crevice. We live for it, we need it, and with some really misplaced logic in play we think that, that is development. Then a new obsession, this thing called ‘Vision 2030’. A vision led by politicians who believe Globalization is going Western, introduce Harrods to Nairobi and alas! We are civilized and yet sine qua non. Immanuel Kant defined enlightenment as man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Enlightenment, the sore ingredient missing, the ability to think for ourselves-without a Western power dangling AID over our heads, the ability to choose a Political Brass that is able to quit and go home because we failed you. I’m one of those people who have given up voting in 2012-just the question of which Monkey to back has the more-comic-half-of-me in stitches. I’m worried, terribly worried. Do you feel it? I feel like a stick in the mud awake to the Circus choir singing from the green grass just…just inches away. I can feel it. When they speak about change, I don’t believe it. The longest serving opposition to Government rule has always been The Universities. Why? Not because of numbers, not because of the leadership but because of knowledge. An enlightened bunch we are, way above the filth that is a game played between the haves and the have-nots. Or were we? They say we are a product of our time, higher breaths than I would shiver at that observation-I mean Mahatma Gandhi grew up in a time of British Oppression but he didn’t make that the status quo. So status quo ante right? If so then how is it we are still fed on a curriculum that is so passed by time, time passed us again. Where are the tools to make it in this World right now? How is it that our Education system feeds into making us appropriate for only the existing industries? Hello Safaricom, B.A.T, Zain, EABL. In a 3rd World Country whose next move is dependent on AID, do you see the fallacy? Why is it that the people who have de-

Your Say fined our time, the people who generations after us will remember all dropped out of school? Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame. They have redefined our era, but how? More fundamentally, why? Why? Cue Mutula Kilonzo, former Minister for Nairobi and The Metropolitan Area, talking in such verbose about Electric trains and Harrods. Cue The Minister for Energy hosting a one week Conference asking for ideas to deal with the then Energy Crisis. Anyone in the know understands that we don’t have the capacity to run an Electric train, but it makes such imagination full fodder for all the hapless parrots out there waiting to politicize. We have KEMRI, KARI and a million others but there doesn’t exist A Research and Development Foundation for Engineering, so what do we do-let’s get ideas from the common mwananchi and create a committee to deal with it. Yippee! As Mutahi Ngunyi once quipped, a camel is a horse created by a committee. All we need is one man, just one and yet not a man- An institution. I am heavily reminded by Thoreau’s words, any man who believes he is more right than his neighbor constitutes a majority of one. Then the question, did you know Adolf Hitler used the same words to justify killing the Jews. Then in this moment I am Adolf Hitler, I think I am more right than the Sesame Street characters we have as leaders. I as Adolf Hitler believe that we are just too lazy to solve our problems. We need a new class of criminals. We need individuals who are –2050-compliant, individuals like the ones behind The Fuel Documentary who ask the question, what if you took a 30 storey building in the Nairobi CBD and instead planted crops in it. What would happen? How can we apply the concept of freeism that’s behind Google and Facebook to build our country, individuals who understand that globalization is not westernization and that in Tokyo, the hedges are tea not flowers. That we need to embrace Nuclear energy as South Africa did and went Nuclear in 1958. Individuals who don’t only blow hot air up my backside because they will mess up my autopsy! Sine qua non-I have no alternative. I’ve gone through a whole set of tantrums as I wrote this article, wasting a minute of my time on politics followed by loathing of myself and the status quo, having to sit as Adolf Hitler for one paragraph and then finally resigning to my ultimate fate: futility. The futility that this is Africa and nothing is ever going to change, and what do they mean by change-exchange one bald man for another. I give up, maybe and yet sine qua non. I have no alternative.

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Highlights Is The future Really Here

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n the 10th of March 2009, students of the University of Nairobi held a demonstration across the Central Business District in protest of the murders of Oscar Kamau King’ara and John Paul Oulu (GPO, a student) of the Oscar Foundation that took place right in the campus grounds. These murders

are alleged to be linked to the Mungiki Sect and are also alleged to have been committed by a unit of the police force. This among many other extra-judicial

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killings alleged to have been carried out by this unit motioned the demonstrators to chanting the now clarion call that has been echoed by members of Civil Society, “Ali Must Go!”. Major General Hussein Ali is the Police Commissioner of the Kenya Police. They took the opportunity to also voice their protest on the several issues that have tainted the 'Grand Coalition's' governance of the state.

Ericsson Graduates Recruitment, Ericsson Kenya held their first graduate recruitment fair at the Sarit Centre expo hall on the 14th of May 2009. This program being held for the first time in Kenya but a regular in other countries where the company is well established brought together over 1000 graduating students from different colleges and universities in the

Contrary to the history of SONU (Students' Organization of Nairobi University) demonstrations, this one was a relatively peaceful protest save for the few incidents by rogue demonstrators towards the end of the march. We -and I believe I speak with the majority of the student populationare deeply unsatisfied by the actions of our political leaders under whose authority we placed our beloved country only to be damned by tales of grand corruption, impunity and even murder!

country. The students were educated on various functional units of the Ericsson company and later given internship application forms. The aim was to recruit 15 graduates to join the company. The event was officially opened by the Minister for Information and Communication Hon. Samuel Poghisio, who called upon other companies in the country to emulate ericsson’s example and provide Jobs for the youth.

Nyayo Car? Again?

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ow that the School of Engineering is host to the Make Anything Yoy Want outfit – the Fab Lab- the first major undertaking is going to be one to

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construct an Electric Vehicle. For those of you who missed this, De Uitvinders(The Inventors Foundation – Netherlands) in conjuction with Development Through Media (DTM) and the University of Nairobi, among others, are collaborationg in the production of a Film, The Inventors – The African Race (previously aka The Inventors come to Africa). Our task as the University of Nairobi and more specifically as the WAZA Platform in this film is to see the actualization of the Electric Vehicle around which the synopsis of the film is based. The School of Mechanical Engineering some years ago wanted to

begin the 'ambitious' pro-ject to convert to an Electric Vehicle, a 1985 SubaruLeone 1800 GLF (donated by a sponsor- pictured below). Although this project never took off, Dr. K. Gachigi, a Lecturer at the Faculty, has seen this as a providential opportunity to jump-start it. As the Patron of the WAZA Platform, he is key to facilitating the projects' co-ordination with The University and also the wondrous facilities of the new FabLab. You can follow the progress log on Edward Obiko's Blog at http://omingoobiko.blogspot.com

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IEK Dinner Dance This years IEK annual dinner

dance went down traditionally at the Intercontinental Hotel with a massive student representation from the University of Nairobi, school of engineering. The event was addressed by among others the Chairman of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, Eng. Francis Ngokonyo and the Assistant Minister for Roads, Hon. Lee Kinyanjui. Despite their massive presence the student fraternity was however left out from the program. This raised questions on the connection between student engineers and the country’s main engineering body.

Laptop And Phone Tracking Device

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Kenyan company, East African Data Handlers claims to have developed software to track a stolen laptop or mobile phone. The ujanja tracking technology is installed on a laptop hard disk or incorporated in a phone firmware. The new technology employs GPRS over existing GSM mobile phone service operators. The lap top tracker is said to indicate the location of the laptop whenever the thief connects to the internet. The phone, on the other side, will notify the owner (on an alternative line provided earlier) as soon as the thief changes their phone no. the information you get on the alternative line is the new number inserted in your phone. Several questions, however, arise such as what

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if the chief formatted the hard disk of the laptop and who pays for the texts you receive notifying you when a new line is inserted in your stolen phone.

Career Talks

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tudent associations stepped up their efforts in the linkage of the students to the industry. This was evident from the increased number of career talks including two mini career days in the past year. In December 2008, EIC(Electronics and ICT Club) organized the first ever engineering career day that featured Jamii Telcom, Comtec Networks, Power Technics and Standard Chartered Bank. ESA followed suit organizing a joint career Talk session in April 2009 that feature Eng. Wanjohi and the Business incubate program. On various occasions the Dean, School of Engineering has applauded these efforts acknowledging them as a means of keeping the students in the know.

Highlights THE CCK PUBLIC LECTURE ON CONSUMER EDUCATION

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he Electronics and ICT Club on 20th may 2009 hosted the Communications Commission of Kenya at the Exhibition Hall (JKML) for a public lecture on consumer protection in the ICT industry. The event was open to the general public and was attended by among other lecturers, Dr. Gakuru Mucemi the Patron of the Electronics and ICT Club. Before the start of the talks, interested persons had a chance to be guided through the application of internships to Microsoft partners through the WECA portal.

WHY THE FISHERMAN WILL THANK THE STUDENT ENGINEER

Pascal katana, a fourth year student

at the department of electrical and information engineering developed an electronic trap that lures fish into there captivity. The trap employs amplification; amplifying the sound made by fish while feeding, and GPRS/ GSM signaling; upon the fishing net’s weight reaching a set figure, a signal is triggered automatically through an embedded mobile phone to a designated number. This alerts the fishermen with the number indicating the positioning of the fish. Katana, now popularly known as the inventor presented the project at the national scientific conference in Nairobi’s KICC.

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Interview Samo

Engineer Profile

David Svarre C.E.O. Digital Age Insti-

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he Japs have an old saying, “A man is the room he is in.”Well, they never met David Svarre, C.E.O. of Digital Age institute, co-founder and Director of Scandinavian Computer Recruitment. Raison d’être? Read on. Allow me to digress, there’s an old movie from the early 90’s starring Sean Connery-the epitome of the Bond Movies and Wesley Snipes, with a hugely Japanese cast. Wesley the resident detective and Sean Connery the detective brought in by the Japanese Mogul to investigate a murder in his house. A classic movie. How’s this relevant you ask and why am I so Japanese-fascinated you ask? This is me, walking from the Alliance Francaise to View Park Towers, squeezed into an elevator and out of nervousness or maybe to calm them, I decide to count the floors. We stop at the 16th . I’m fifteen minutes late, what an impression! He walks in: David Svarre. Easy going, good looking (obviously no Sean Connery), with deep-set eyes an inquisitive natural look and maybe in a more magical world with bad eyesight and rimmed specks he would be Harry Potter. Now, it wouldn’t occur to you straight off the bat that he has a First Degree in Electrical Engineering from Denmark (he is Danish married to a Kenyan lady) has a second degree in Technomics, he got into Software at 15 writing programs on his laptop and has spent his adult life in the software industry. Currently he is C.E.O. of Digital Age Institute which doubles as both a B.P.O. (Business Process Outsourcing outfit) and a college offering courses in Software Development.

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the obvious fact that I got married here. The interview begins; I ask “Everyone here calls you Davie?” D: I believe in equality, whoever you are...Whether Cleaner or Manager, fundamentally we are equal and it’s that logic that fuels a winning enterprise like Digital Age Institute. S: Philosophical. O.K. Why Kenya? The whole world out there, why come to Kenya? D: I first came to Kenya in 1997, it happens that in at the turn of the century Denmark imported expatriates from Kenya to solve the Y2K crisis in the banking industry. “Why Kenya?” Apart from the fact that Kenya was penned to be one of the five countries in Africa that would be technology hub, there is

S: I n a 3rd World Country like Kenya, where parts of the country are famine stricken and we live an a la tapeworm life-AID. Do you think it’s prudent to invest in Software Development or should we focus more on the vivid problems around us? D: The answer to that is simple. Let’s look at the obvious; you have a handset. I have one. Everywhere you look there is one. Kenya imports millions of phones every year, that is billions spent on buying original software. Software on phones either Samsung Nokia Siemens, you name it. If on principle we decided to invest in developing our own software, Kenya would make more hard currency and invest it in developing this nation. S: What do you think of the true Soft-

ware development level in Kenya, and are companies excited to use Kenyan Software development companies too? D: There are roughly 4000 Software developers in Kenya, only 400 know what they are doing. We need to change that; we should have at least 16000 Software developers who know what they are doing. On the second question, Kenyan companies are some of our biggest clients. They appreciate and understand the need for a cohesive relationship. S: As a B.P.O. Pre-fibre optic cable. How does this affect your company’s revenue margin? D: Software development is not heavily or entirely dependent on speeds or bandwidth, our business model is such that whereas call centers are expensive due to Satellite connectivity, we don’t have such expenses and it gives us a way out to focus on earning Hard currency. S: Tell us about Digital Age the college?

D: Originally, we knew we wanted to set up a Software Development Center in Kenya. So in 2004 we did the surveys, in 2005 we had a location that happened to be View Park Towers. Strategically, we were confident. We had envisioned a World Class center that offered Software creation at the highest International plane possible and also coupled as a B.P.O. S: Successes? D: Digital Age has come a long way but the most straight forward indicator of our successes is our students. Once they have a certificate from Digital Age the market can’t wait to swallow up our students. S: Software is ever changing, how do you keep up, how do you make sure your curriculum is relevant and that your students are at the fore-front of this information? D: We monitor new technology always before implementing a curriculum. “We don’t teach just because it is

new.” Our curriculum is revised on average annually and often pegged on the City & Guilds curriculum. Also, in this Global village, any High Educations Board has a moral obligation to keep an eye out for new technology, those that succumb to the inertia of not revising their curriculum will be severely punished by an ever googling world. Digital Age makes sure you get the best. As I conclude and we fade into important tips on Entrepreneurship and David’s well calculated look on life, I’m sucked back into passing realms of that old movie. Call it bad déjà vu, but I feel like Wesley Snipes listening and learning from the older wiser and graying Sean Connery. From David’s views of business, his tech savvy look and the way he articulates his ideas. His courtesy, insight, smarts, the respect well aligned in his voice. Core themes to both the movie and the Japanese way of life. I suddenly remember the name of that movie. The Rising Sun. It wouldn’t be too tacky to call him The Rising San would it? (San-Jap for Mr.)

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Femme Angela Hiuhiu

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Engineering Woman

ack in primary school, during my physical education lesson my class teacher took the liberty of teaching us an iota on self defense. Then, I rolled my eyes and in my head I was at loss of words “What is he trying out?” On retrospect, he must have understood the consequences of lack of defense. If any woman has not been hit by the latest moving “bug” called independent craze, there is no need to worry. Sources claim its speed of infection is higher than that of any Kenyan teenager aping a preferred image of an icon in the music or Hollywood industry.

On the flip side, its anti-bug needs no download or constant upgrading and as a matter of fact it’s quite easy to come along. Luckily for us we have FIDA that fiercely combats this anti-bug. In law it’s said that ignorance is no excuse. FIDA has taken the bulls by its horn and laid it all out for the women to comprehend their rights as well as empowering them on different ways of defense. By FIDA doing so, they changed the perception of sorting differences through fighting or verbal exchange of words. Everyone agrees with me that the statement education is the key to success or anything to that effect is the most repetitive line in any family as we grew up through our education period. Then again what is knowledge without wisdom? Each Engineering woman is striving for independence as we pursue this course. In the heart of it all let’s not forget what makes us a woman and not the opposite. We need to learn where not to cross the line in attempt of proving our independence. It’s not sufficient to be just independent, we are expected to further balance our emotions and make wise decisions in all that we do. As we women take Engineering to higher levels in the future of no collapsing dams, no evolving of potholes minutes after re-carpeting roads among other aspects, it will take more than just being called Doctor Professor Engineer Angela Hiuhu. Let the future engineering works always have a finer feminine touch from us women and regain the lost public trust. We women need to work simultaneously with the men earning respect from them based on our efforts and merit. Anyone is 10

welcome to hold me on this; in the next two going three years we will have a re-engineered female version of Bill Gates or better still a relentless Wangari Maathai. You are probably laughing in contempt thinking that am being an illusionist. I do realize that this will take time and if you hold your breathe you might choke but I guarantee you of not having a cardiac arrest. I urge all engineering women to break all boundaries hindering their success and exploit their talents. We should not be easily contented with raw deals. As we take over the Engineering in future making it trendy to be no longer considered as a course reserved for the geeks and nerdy, learning its art and producing craft that blows the public away beyond measures let it be done wisely. Nothing is more hilarious than an intellect woman who is not wise. Lest its forgotten, we Engineering women are moving at a speed of agitated bulls that just spotted a red cloth!

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n earlier Principal Voice, Muhammad Yunus, transformed the economics of development through microfinance, making investment accessible to grass-roots entrepreneurs. Rather than big businesses arriving top-down from global corporations or investors, microfinance allows large numbers of small businesses to be driven bottom-up by local dreams and demands. There will not be a better opportunity to be at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Nairobi, than the one we are about to realize with the arrival of the much anticipated Fabrication Laboratory. It is our chance to literally make almost anything! Let me save you the 'peptalk' and delve straight into what you have probably been asking.

What is the Fab Lab? The Fab Lab is basically a collection of tools and equipment that leverage the power of Digital Fabrication Techniques in the hands of the average innovative mind. They bridge digital divide that is a gap between mainstream industrial production facilities and the small scale entrants. Say, for instance, creating a simple mechanical replacement part for a broken machine should not cost you the price of the machine if it were pssible to fabricate a replacement. With the Fab Lab equipment, it is not only possible to fabricate parts from

Fab Lab

Arrives... different materials but also to invent, design and create whole machines. One goal of the Fab Lab is to be able to create another Fab Lab from itself! Fab labs share core capabilities so that projects can be shared across them. This currently includes: -A computer-controlled lasercutter, for press-fit assembly of 3D structures from 2D parts -A larger (4'x8') numericallycontrolled milling machine, for making furniture- (and house-) sized parts -A signcutter, to produce printing masks, flexible circuits, and antennas -A precision (micron resolution) milling machine to make threedimensional molds and surfacemount circuit boards -Programming tools for low-cost high-speed embedded processors. These work with components and materials optimized for use in the field, and are controlled with custom software for integrated design, manufacturing, and project management.

This inventory is continuously evolving, towards the goal of a fab lab being able to make a fab lab. Fab labs provide widespread access to modern means for invention. They began as an outreach project from MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA). CBA assembled millions of dollars in machines for research in digital fabrication, ultimately aiming at developing programmable molecular assemblers that will be able to make almost anything. Fab labs fall between these extremes, comprising roughly fifty thousand dollars in equipment and materials that can be used today to do what will be possible with tomorrow's personal fabricators. Fab labs have spread from inner-city Boston to rural India, from South Africa to the North of Norway, and now Kenya. Activities in fab labs range from technological empowerment to peer-to-peer project-based technical training to local problemsolving to small-scale high-tech business incubation to grassroots research. 11

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provide global access to capital and markets for businesses incubated in fab labs, and a Fab Academy is being accredited for distributed degree programs taught in the labs. Launching a new fab lab requires assembling enough of the hardware and software inventory to be able to share people and projects with other fab labs, posting the Fab Charter to provide context for doing that, and contacting [email protected]. edu to be added to the fab lab network.

Illustration 1: Equipment at Fablab in Uon. Clockwise, Laser Cutter, Vynil Cutter, High Intensity Microwave Oven and Fab Computers

Projects being developed and produced in fab labs include solar and wind-powered turbines, thin-client computers and wireless data networks, analytical instrumentation for agriculture and healthcare, custom housing, and rapid-prototyping of rapid-prototyping machines. Along with sharing tools, fab labs share rights and responsibilities expressed in the Fab Charter. The current hardware specification (~$50k equipment and ~$10k materials) are freely available at http://fab.cba.mit. edu/about/fab/inv.html and software at http://fab.cba.mit.edu/ about/fab/ For assistance with ordering, installation, training, and process and project development MIT participates in selected partnerships. However, to scale support for these functions fab labs are increasingly being organized in regional networks, globally coordinated by a Fab Foundation being established in Norway. Along with the Fab Foundation, a Fab Fund is being launched to 12

Illustration 2 Modella, a small scale milling machine

Illustration 3, Lego Electronics Kit for WAZA Outreach Program

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FAB LABS AROUND THE WORLD By Mark Jewell, Associated Press

BOSTON — When Makeda Stephenson compared flight simulator games sold in computer stores and didn't find anything she liked, she didn't stop there. The 13-year-old used a set of NAME: Neil Gershenfeld computer-controlled manufacturPROFESSION: Director of the Center for Bits and Atoms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ing tools at a community center Professor Neil Gershenfeld is director of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at MIT. to make her own simulator — CBA pioneered the concept of fab labs: high-tech, low-cost workshops equipped with one that lets her "fly" an airplane the tools to make almost anything. of her design over an alien planet born of her imagination. very deep," said Neil Gershensecurity system that photographs In a room filled with computers feld, an MIT physicist and comanyone coming near the owner's and tabletop-sized manufacturputer scientist whose is among private writings — say, a nosey ing equipment, Stephenson crethe movement's chief propobrother. And an MIT student created a pilot's control yoke with nents. "Somehow it goes back to ated something called "Screammotion sensors she fashioned nest-building, or mastering your Body" — a backpack-sized from a melange of old electronic own environment. wearable air chamber into which toys and parts. "There's sort of this deep thing someone can voice a muffled A computer program Stephenson inside that most people don't scream in a public place. The wrote with help from a Masexpress that comes tumbling out scream is recorded for subsesachusetts Institute of Technolwhen they get access to these quent "release" in private. ogy students guides the plane's tools," he said. MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms movements on her computer Fab Lab output can be practical, began setting up Fab Labs three screen. or whimsical. years ago as free community She did it all through a teen Herders in northern Norway resources, using part of a $12.5 learning program at one of seven erected a telecommunications million National Science Founso-called Fabrication Labs that network to track their sheep's dation grant and local financing. MIT has established in places as wanderings with radio antennas distant as Norway and Ghana. and electronic tags. Open-source software and Each lab has tool sets that, costIn India, farmers created meaMIT-written programs control ing about $25,000, would be out surement tools to ensure a safe the devices, machining parts to of the reach of most fledgling milk supply and measure fat tolerances that once could be inventors. and women achieved only using equipment “In a sense, content, Advocates of such found a way to scan and costing hundreds of thousands of "Fab Labs" think they this is like print carved wooden dollars. have the potential used for a local Citizen inventors with only opensource blocks to vastly expand the kind of embroidery. In a modest technical expertise swap creative powers of software, but separate project, villagideas with counterparts at other tinkerers and usher in ers designed small LED Fab Labs around the world by a revolution in do-it- for hardware” lights for use in areas electronically sharing design yourself design and lacking electricity. blueprints or going to a Fab Lab manufacturing that can empower Villagers in Ghana, meanwhile, website that offers project ideas. even the smallest of communiharnessed solar power to make "In a sense, this is like openties. electricity and cook food rather source software, but for hard"If you give people access and than relying on firewood. ware," Gershenfeld said. means to solve their own probOn the fanciful front, a teenage lems, it touches something very, girl in Boston created a diary 13

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Davis & Shirtliff offers the widest range of Water Pumps Pic 4. Davis & Shirtliff Mombasa Sales available for every application imaginable. Pumps are sourced Manager Linda Wamune with children from various world from the Association for physically Dis- leading manufacturers and with expert abled Children of Kenya(APDK) at Port selection advice, huge available stocks of both pumps and Reitz. Looking on is D&S Staff and the adspareofparts full service support NOBODY KNOWS MORE ministrator APDK Ms.and Leah Mwachira. Food stuffs werePUMPS donated to the!children. ABOUT HEAD OFFICE: 6968 000

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Feature Samo



F

orget about them for a second, nowFibre optics, fibre optics, fibre optics. Everyone is yelling out- fibre optics! I mean, last year both Obama and McCain in the Primary Debates equated availability of Bandwidth in the U.S. to a right. With such verbose, I’d think it was. What about satellite, what happens when fibre and satellite go head – to head to feed a continent of new applications, people and Governments hungry for bandwidth? You’ve seen them, outside Campus, around the corner, men in yellow clad digging up the trenches, yes - fiber optic cables and maybe you have heard of gestation satellites. Have you? So what happens now, that we are ready for a full out war, are you aware of the benefits, of which side to be on or are you waiting for an ad. I’ll promise you this, they are coming a dime a dozen. So, welcome to Fibre vs. Satellite. We know this for a fact, - after staring at your e-mail for the last five minutes as you wait for it to load-that the effective high speed internet service required for critical businesses, government and consumer applications have remained either unavailable or very expensive. That “Government’s awareness of this situation and the perceived commercial attractiveness of the opportunity to close this gap, has given rise to the current frenetic activity for construction of submarine fibre cables on the continent” This is according to BMI TechKnowledge. Cost effective communication is spurring

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Garry Kasparov

growth in Africa, companies in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and to a lesser extent Tanzania, are hard at work investing in the new technology. Let’s play some chess… Garry Kasparov (satellite)-the world’s leading chess player for the last 21 years to-let’s call him Vladimir Putin (Fibre), the new kid on the block. Game?

FIBRE’S MOVE: If the hype in the literacy corridors, the constant talk of B.P.O’s and the question mark in our eyes when Nakumatt went 24 hours are anything to write home about, then the public is fully aware of the potential of Fibre Optics. It is common knowledge that Alcatel – Lucent has deployed various submarine cables throughout the world, two of which are in South America and Asia. It can also be seen that with broadband in particular, fibre is the more popular solution. Entrepreneurs are making the

decision to replace existing satellite lines by submarine fibres. This is happening in Islands and small territories where they are being connected via submarine fibre. A case in point is Rwanda. Why? Well, since telecom`munication was previously heavily reliant on expensive satellite systems. Kenyan B.P.O.’s like Kencall were incurring huge expenses for having to deal with Satellite com-

V

munication, downsizing their revenues and what everyone thought would be a huge splash in the sea, left a lot of investors in the red. It is obviously expected that satellite will change their strategy, from currently switching African traffic out of Europe to moving their teleports to Africa, where their will act as a backhaul for inter country and rural connectivity, utilizing the submarine cables for their long - haul international capacity. SATELLITE’S MOVE: Despite this, satellite corporations do not seem to be fazed by the potential threat brought on by cables. This is highly reminiscent of when Richard Branson’s Virgin tried to start a soft drink Company in Coca Cola’s backyard-The US. They had the same reaction till Virgin started making some real gains and Coca Cola set up a SWAT team to deal with them. R.I.P.

Is it the same for the Satellite Corporations or what is their logic? Satellite Corporations say that although fibre can provide cheaper band width, its limitations are the same of conventional infrastructure in the rough terrains and deserts of Africa. So while cable can provide an effective solution for African’s coastal countries, it is still unlikely to provide these benefits to regions that lie further inland. Now, let’s take the case of International

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s

Vladmir Putin

Organizations – such as those involved in the raw materials industries for example –it can be argued that the only way for them to achieve a seamless and cost – effective ICT application solution is to use satellite. Only satellite can reach everywhere, linking the only exploration site office with corporate HQ on the other side of the world and corporate petrol stations countrywide or internationally. Therefore, satellite is more than essential. More than essential. According to BMI – Techknowledge’s

study, although countries on the African west and southern coasts have access to fibre connectivity an estimated 80 per cent of the continent’s international voice and data traffics is still carried via satellite. The contribution of the technology to carrying IP – based applications traffic is not only limited to parts of the world, like the African continent, where there have been long standing limitations on the availability of bandwidth and capacity over alternative platforms such as international fibre, it also applies in the most highly fibred market in the world. I’m talking about the United States, one of the most fibred regions and yet home to the largest population of VSATs. Why? Global connectivity is driving the market and with regard to VSAT networks it is abut access. The proposed African fibre rollout will not end the VSAT market because it cannot adequately fulfill the VSAT user’s aim requirement – point to – multipoint connectivity.

Satellite clearly has benefits especially when it comes to remote and rural connectivity. But fibre offers plenty of bandwidth at a cheaper price. Can satellite match these offering? Satellite can do literally anything that fibre can but with the availability to provide it anywhere, on reliable basis with the best capacity solutions to support video, network and voice requirements. Satellite has offered distance learning and telemedicine extending cellular networks into remote areas.

Satellite – based communication has caught up with today’s high band width demands and satellite is now broadband. IP over DVB is the de facto standard for broadband communications over satellite and such systems clearly demonstrate their greatest cost – effectiveness by matching the Asymetrix nature of internet traffic. Broadband connectivity via satellite provides for business the entire range of complex and bandwidth – hungry applications with internet backbone connections exceeding 45 Mbps. CHECKMATE? The vulnerability of the technology. Last year, a ship sailed into a fibre optic cable resulting in the loss of connection for much of Asia and Africa. This provides that undersea cables are not foolproof and also highlights the fact that we are not quite ready to abandon satellite completely. It is worth noting that the deployment of the cables is not cheap or easy. The installation of undersea cables needs to be well planned and often classified as a mega proj-

ect. A map of the ocean for where the cable will be laid is obtained through surveying work which includes obstacles and activities that might interfere or cause problems to the cables. Specialized ships carry out the installation of cables and some even have remote operated vehicle (ROV) capability suitable for deep sea operations. These ships can lay cables at speeds of about 15kmph in deep oceans at depths down to 7,000m.

A ZOGS WONG?

Neither solution is providing the perfect answer as yet. For example, while cheaper fibre networks will lead to the use of higher band width applications and improve connectivity along the African coast it is predicted to lead to higher expectations from corporate customers. It can be expected as seen from other countries like South Africa, that the arrival of fibre to a country often results in an increased demand to satellite capacity and also significant economies growth. This in turn drives demand for additional satellite services as businesses expand into the interiors of the country, where fibre has yet to reach. Now technology giants are now experimenting with a combination of the two technologies more proactively. It seems that connectivity in Africa has never been about fibre, it’s actually all about using the best blend of satellite, wireless and fibre technologies to create secure, reliable high – quality connectivity solutions that give customers a commercial advantage in their choice industry. Only time will tell if fibre will live up to the expectations but it has not knocked satellite out of the sky just yet nor is it likely to anytime soon. Whether Garry Kasparov will be kicked on his butt or we will have a new reigning champion is an issue of time. Time wins this bout. Talk about relativity. Einstein wins!

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From Highways To Autobahns

W

hile I agree that Rome was never built in one day its impor-

tant to realize that Rome started one day. In that line, I could share a lot on roads on the platform of the Kenya we want. As a critical stimulus of growth roads in Kenya should be upgraded. From the few highways we have (class A roads) we should create autobahns. Autobahn is a Germany word used to refer to what other countries call expressway. Expressways are also known as freeways or motorways. These types of roads are designed to offer highest level of service. With these kinds of roads in Kenya one can work in Nairobi and join the family for supper in Mombasa. This way family members with non-formal employment can engage in farming activities in the countryside without missing their loved ones. Traffic mobility is made easy by this kind of facilities. These roads are not present in Kenya but

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Rome

the government is doing a lot to improve existing highways. Thika road for example, is being expanded into multi-lane dual carriageway with multi-grade interchanges to replace roundabouts. The case of Germany presents the best example we can learn from. Good planning is a necessity for us to achieve this kind of infrastructure. The total Autobahn network was at 11,712 km in 2001 and 12,044 km in 2004. This makes the Autobahn network the world's third largest superhighway system after the United States and China.

The design

The general rule for design is to provide

for unimpeded, high-speed traffic flow. Unimproved older segments aside, most Autobahns feature the following design elements: -Two, three, or occasionally four lanes per direction. Lanes on rural sections are generally 3.75 meters wide except the left lane of newer three lane segments-- it's 3.5 meters wide. On urban sections, all

Hamisi Gabriel

lanes are 3.5 meters wide. -A landscaped "green" median 3.5 or 4 meters wide (3 meters in urban areas). -A double-sided guardrail runs down the middle. Blinders are often used on curves. Some newer sections have concrete barriers instead of green medians. - Outside emergency shoulders and long acceleration and deceleration lanes. - Full grade-separation and access control, generally provided by half cloverleaf interchanges at exits and full clover leafs or directional interchanges at Autobahn crossings. Interchanges are generally well spaced, sometimes exceeding 30 km between. -Grades of 4% or less. Climbing lanes are provided on most steep grades. -Gentle and well-banked curves. -Freeze-resistant concrete or bituminous surface. -Roadbed and surface measuring about 68 cm (27 inches) in thickness. -Frequent parking areas, often equipped with toilet facilities. -Extensive and ample service areas featuring filling stations, restaurants, and hotels. -Automated traffic and weather monitoring and electronic signs providing dynamic speed limits and/or advance warning of congestion, accidents, construction, and fog. -Emergency telephones at 2 km intervals. -Wildlife protection fencing, crossover tunnels and "green bridges".

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From Highways To Autobahns ment by vehicles due to high speeds -Tourism attraction for people who would enjoy spinning at good speeds. However these roads have got their disadvantages -Increased speeds will increase accidents in a country like Kenya where drivers are not satisfactorily trained. In Germany these instances are remarkably low due to extensive training and re-training of drivers. -High construction and maintenance costs

Traffic regulations -Bicycles, mopeds, and pedestrians are specifically prohibited from using the Autobahn, as are any other vehicles with a maximum speed rating of less than 60 km/h (36 mph). -Passing on the right is strictly prohibited! Slower vehicles must move to the right to allow faster traffic to pass, and drivers should stay in the right lane except to pass. You are, however, allowed to pass on the right in heavy traffic when vehicles have started queuing, but only at a slow speed. -Stopping, parking, U-turns, and backing-up are strictly verboten, including on shoulders and ramps (except for emergencies, of course.) -Entering and exiting is permitted only at marked interchanges. - Traffic entering the autobahn must yield to traffic already on the autobahn. -During traffic jams, motorists in the left lane are required to move as far to the left as possible and those in the adjacent center or right lane must move as far to the right in their lane as possible, thus creating a gap between the lanes for emergency vehicles to pass through. -If you have a breakdown

or accident, you must move to the shoulder if possible and place a warning triangle 200 meters behind the scene. You must report the incident to the authorities using the nearest emergency phone. -It is illegal to run out of fuel on the Autobahn because such an occurrence is deemed to be preventable.

Advantages

Some of the benefits that are accrued from these roads include: -Due to the improved mobility, drivers can cover long distances without fatigue -Reduced Journey times and costs -Good maintenance reduces vehicle damages -Reduced damage to the road pave

In Germany it is hard to tell which came first between good cars and good roads. Germany prides itself for producing high quality vehicles in the world. The Mercedes, Volkswagen, BMW and the likes needs good roads. This has earned her fame worldwide with tourists trooping in to enjoy free-flow driving. In Kenya we drive and pride ourselves in anything we can afford. I am made to believe that by the time we manage to build these autobahns we shall have commenced producing our own cars. The Nyayo car spirit, now under the Numerical Machines is far from dying. We shall come up with perhaps the best makes in the world with good barabaras.

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E.S.A.

The Organisation

Message From The Chairman. ESA EXECUTIVE 2008-2009

A

CHAIRMAN Obonyo Cedric

s in the manufacture and maturity of wine, time is always the best healer and at all times defines the crown and crest of any activity undertaken. Engineers have always been known to be the people who walk the talk. This in effect makes us precise logical thinkers in all areas we indulge ourselves in both physically and mentally with everything geared to finding solutions. The last one year of my administration in one scope can be characterized by solely making objectives a reality. The essence of having a perfectly working machine is at all times having each single component of the machine in top notch condition as anyone would agree a chain is just as strong as its weakest link. From career talks, exchange programs, study tours to the journal, invaluable effort has been put to make them a reality. The quest, thirst and never ending pursuit for knowledge and venturing into the unknown will never be a walk in the park but always a struggle where only the fit will live to see dawn. My advice to student engineers is ‘keep fit’. My appreciation goes to all those who joined hands during my administration. I would wish to send my strongest gratitude to the editorial board for making this journal a success, Eng. McCorkindale for his continual assistance. I’d also like to thank Prof. B.N.K Njoroge :the principal College of Architecture and Engineering, Prof Odira :Dean School of Engineering, the entire outgoing ESA secretariat, Mrs. Hannah Mukuah Senior administrator School of Engineering and not to forget Mrs. Mumera for her unwavering support. Finally I heart-fully extend my gratitude and utter respect to the Engineering Students for having faith in me and allowing me to serve them. God bless you all in your endeavors. ENGINEERING STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

With its main aim being linkage of

the students to the industrialists, the outgoing ESA executive employed a different way of carrying out its business. With the increasing attempt to incorporate the students in the running of the association affairs ESA brought on board all the departmental associations at the school of engineering. This includes the Environmental and bio-systems engineering students' associations(EBESA), Association of Civil Engineering Students(ACES), Association of students in Electrical and Electronics Engineering(ASEEE), Students Association of Mechanical Engineering(SAME) and the Geo-spatial Engineering Students Association(GESA). ESA also had a close working relations with the Electronics and ICT Club(EIC) of the university of Nairobi whose majority members are students undertaking Electrical and information engineering at the school of engineering.

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THE ELECTRONICS AND ICT CLUB(EIC)

Initially for students at the department

of electrical and information engineering, university of Nairobi, EIC has opened up its membership to all interested individuals. The clubs outreach to students has been boosted by its functional mailing list through which members get updates. Membership to this club is free of charge. All one has to do is to send an e-mail to electronicsict@ ymail.com with relevant details I.e full names, daytime phone contacts, course undertaking and registration number. Largely accredited for actualizing the first ever Engineering career day at the university of Nairobi in 2008, the club plans an even bigger event on Thursday 10th December 2009. The club has also opened talks with the management of Digital Age Institute with an aim of facilitating software development training for her membership.

VICE CHAIRMAN Ismael Bett SECRETARY GENERAL Mbai Muchiri TREASURY Lilian Kamanja PUBLICITY SECRETARY Nyakiongora George ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Njuguna James VICE ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SEC. Abira Nancy SOCIAL AFFAIRS Esther Ndeti

EBESA

In the previous Issue of the Student

Engineer, I wrote about the department getting twenty new branded computers from two companies. With a sigh I beg for temporary amnesia because it never was and as the students’ hope turns to frail, we only pray and hope that it’s just a matter of time. In the meanwhile, the department has organized a clean up of the Nairobi river and everyone is invited. Although the date is vague the officials of EBESA have directed all efforts in actualizing the idea. I love the gesture of the department but to what end? It’s just a matter of time before the river gets back to its old self. The environment has proved that it’s not to be ignored and rarely forgives. Unless we show some sensitivity to the earth and treat it as it own we will remain forever bound to outstretching hands for aid. The unfolding of Environmental and Bio systems Engineering is set to take place soon. All will be laid bare as the students get to ask any questions pertaining to the course. Its meant to

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be an

interactive session with the students, lectures and

local network, and a "Play To" command sends an item to

Engineering Students at the I.E.K Dinner

professionals in a conducive environment. On a different note we recognize the re-appointment of the EBE chairman we look forward to more achievements than his previous regime.

Students Have Their Say

Who does not love

Microsofts’ defining OS, windows 7? In Windows 7, users can control what programs put icons in the "tray". Windows 7 also revises Vista's, User Account Control feature. It allows the user to select four levels of system oversight, with the default bringing up this continue-or-cancel dialog when programs try to change Windows settings but not when you do the same yourself. Music and video playback in Windows 7 seems to borrow a little more from Apple: Its Windows Media Player 12 program presents music libraries shared on other copies of WMP on the same

another device on the same network. Another Windows 7 component, the "device stage" module, aims to improve working with devices like phones. When they're updated to provide the right data to the system, Windows 7 will read their capabilities when you plug them in, then present the appropriate options, such as offering to sync your calendars or contacts or copy over your music. Microsoft says the version of Windows 7 available now is "feature complete," which means that the functionality of the OS will not change much, if at all. PCs that run Windows Vista should be able to run Windows 7, avoiding some of the compatibility issues that plagued the introduction of that operating system. The minimum system requirements Microsoft suggests for beta testers include a 1GHz processor, 1GB of main memory, 16GB of available disk space, and support for DX9 graphics. BETT RAYMOND 4TH YEAR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.

The Catalogue DATE: 11TH OCTOBER 2008 New members trip to hells gate, mainly newly joined first years Organized by ESA DATE: 10TH DECEMBER 2008 Engineering Career Day, SPEAKERS:Mr. Daniel Kibe, Comtec services Limited, Mr. John Kamau, Jamii Telcom Limited, Mr. Geoffrey Githinji, Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Nanji Dhitar, Power Technics Company Limited. At the CELT Organized by EIC DATE 23RD JANUARY 2009 Career Talk- Mr. Benson Muiru, SITA. AW201 Organized by EIC DATE: 26TH – 30TH JANUARY 2009 Hosting visiting students from Makerere university, Interactive session held at the nuclear science board room. ESA DATE: 28th MARCH 2009, Imagine cup presentation by Edward Obiko 10.30AM- 12.00PM Organised by MSP DATE: 10TH APRIL 2009 ROBOTICS WORKSHOP Speaker; Mr. Wilfred Mworia of Microsoft, 4.00PM-6.00PM CB232 Organized by MSP & EIC DATE: 15TH -17TH April 2009 Exchange program to Makerere university, ESA DATE; 29TH APRIL 2009, JOINT CAREER TALK(four speakers) 2.00-5.30PM CELT ESA DATE: 20TH MAY 2009 Public lecture on consumer education by CCK 2.00-5.00PM EXHIBITION HALL (JKML) EIC EIC- Electronics and ICT Club, ESA – Engineering Students Association, MSP- Microsoft Student Partnership

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Movies Music Books Jokes Movie Review- Batman Returns

Arts

BACK IN BLACK. BATMAN RETURNS AND IN TOW THE VILLAIN OF ALL TIME-THE EVIL SADIST BUT BRILLIANT JOKER AND A WHITE KNIGHT-HARVEY DENT GRRR!

2

008 was a tricky year for movies. The Hollywood writers had been on strike earlier, the financial meltdown the world over, but yet one movie stood out for brilliant acting, editing and technology. The Dark Knight. Based on the dc comic book, director Christopher Nolan brought to life-a-many-science fiction comic book lovers tale of The Joker played by Oscar Award winning actor for the role, Heath Ledger and Batman played by Christian Bale. Dark knight is an epic tale of good versus evil in an adopted city called Gotham. A first rate script which brought to the fore the all time villain, The Joker.The theme of this movie being the purpose of disobedience, that we are all schemers in the futile attempt to write the scripts of our life and The Joker works hard to show us how pathetic our efforts are. From a psychological point of view, The Dark Knight does what Basic Instinct 2 accomplishes but without an air of sex. It is the basic human tendency pitted against itself from the opening scene as The Joker robs a bank by himself up to the final scene in the fight for Gotham’s soul. This movie does what it should; it keeps you on the edge. The Dark Knight also raised eyebrows in the technology front since M.I.T. and other Colleges around the world tried to come up in the real world with the gadgets used in the movie. For example, an incredible one is the use of sonar to direct all the phone calls in the area to a super computer that Batman uses to pin point the joker’s whereabouts. The Batmobile in itself was impressive and the use of the sonar technology also to animate /visualize how many people are lurking in a dark room with walls was highly impressive. Its an engineer’s movie and helps us ask ourselves if it is wrong to be imaginative, to be creative for we are walking into a world that requires engineers to be ahead of the pack a la creative .To be The Joker. It’s out on D.V.D.

Book Review- When Things Start To Think

M

eet Cyborg Man. There he is in his slick new suit, hand outstretched. As soon as you shake it you know his name, his address and who he works for. And he's yet to speak. He ushers you to the door of the office which unlocks as soon as he touches the handle. As you enter he lifts the phone, his touch immediately downloading the day's messages. Smart stuff. And the secret lies in the clothes he is wearing. For in this remarkable new book Gershenfeld, a director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presents a fascinating look at the future of computers, including carrying them round in jackets and shoes. It's possible because of fabric circuits powered through the human body. And it gives today what Arthur C Clarke predicted for the next millennium. Gershenfeld presents an insight of a wired future that is staggering in its ingenuity. The paperless newspaper. The book without printed pages that can allow you to read any volume ever produced, the electronics that enable you to see in all directions as you walk, sensors that measure bodily functions--and display your condition on a "dashboard of the body" as you move around. This is the stuff of the 21st Century. The incredible thing is that it is already here. Gershfeld maintains we have had the digital revolution, now it's time for the evolution in which the people not the machines come to the fore. He makes a convincing case.

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s t n e d u t S g n i r ee n i g n E he T f O l a n r u o J

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sekoJ skooB cisuM seivoM

Music Review- Arusha(Acoustic)

t’s really hard to come across a voice that rings reminiscent of true jewels like Ayo and Asa. Hello Arusha. She is a ‘cabbage’: dad is French & Italian; mom is Indian, born in Germany and bred in Paris. In Arusha-speak, ‘cabbage’ refers to any child of mixed race and heritage! Arusha is a journey. A journey brought to life by meeting Vayn, local producer. They met around a sad and melancholy song: VIDA, an existential hip-hop track that has been played on radios in Kenya and across the globe, and which you can hear on: www.reverbnation.com/vayin. The same song happens to be the soundtrack chosen by a movie company in France called Essentiel. Meeting Vayn was a turning point for Arusha: with this encounter she understood that songwriting was her life and heart’s desire, a ‘soul-fulfillment’, she says: After years of wandering and wondering, I finally found my calling and my direction..’ Arusha writes and sings in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. She sings about love in all its manifestations and shapes, and once in a while, an outburst of anger: against Europe’s immigration laws (MEDITERRANEE) ,against children having to grow up in conflict zones (TEARS OF GAZA) … Arusha is currently recording her first album, ‘Small Loving’…an album which will span the globe, from Colombia to India via Kigali and Nairobi- where she has worked with local artists like Pentamony, Estelle Lannoy of Yunasi and Bizimana Ntwali(song called NAKUGUNDA) and playing on radios in the U.S., N.Zealand, Spain and Austria-to be released on itunes. www.myspace.com/arushatopazzini www.reverbnation.com/arusha www.reverbnation.com/bizi

Humor

Engineer as Designer of the Human Body Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body. One said, ``It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints.'' Another said, ``No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous systems many thousands of electrical connections.'' The last said, ``Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?'' Wife or Mistress An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress. The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because of the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I like both." "Both?" Engineer: "Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the lab and get some work done." Quoted COLIN POWELL Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? Now at the left of the screen, you clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road. CAPTAIN KIRK SIGMUND FREUD To boldly go where no chicken has gone before. The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road FOX MULDER reveals your underlying sexual insecurity. You saw it cross the road with your own eyes! How many more VOLTAIRE chickens have to cross before you believe it? I may not agree with what the chicken did, but I will defend to the death BILL GATES its right to do it. I have just released eChicken 2003, which will not only cross roads, GRANDPA but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone checkbook - and Internet Explorer is an inextricable part of eChick- told us that the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for en. us. ALBERT EINSTEIN OBIKO Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath I want to live in a free world where chicken can cross roads without bethe chicken? ing questioned about their motives

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A J o u r n a l O f T he E n g i n ee r i n g S t u d e n t s A ss o c i at i o n , U n i v e r s i t y O f N a i r o b i

Introducing the BarackBerry

Tech-Talk

It looks like the National Security Agency added some security software to a BlackBerry phone to satisfy President Barack Obama’s need for his Research in Motion smartphone. This means Obama can continue emailing routine and personal messages that will become part of the public record. However, some of the more “fun” functions of a smartphone, such as IM and those requiring GPS functionality, won’t be available for his use. So far no data channels appear to be secure enough for Top Secret emails. An alternative device that was speculated to be the replacement for Obama’s BlackBerry is the Sectera Edge, designed by L3 and General Dynamics to act as a classified-information-friendly replacement for a BlackBerry. However, it only allows for classified voice calls on any network and data while on a classified network. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/2q322l

Flip Digital Video Camera Review For the average internet enthusiast, your social netwoks have become an irresistable pass-time and these can be nothing but boring if not for the capability to share experiences through digital media. I happened to meet John Kinyanjui of internews.org at a skunkworks meeting who was showcasing the latest craze in media capturing which is simply called the FlipCam. There's no doubt that the look of the Flip Digital Video Camera reflects its cheap as chips price tag of $180(approx. Ksh. 16,000). The Flip Digital Video Camera measures a tiny 104x54x29m, which really is small enough to fit in your pocket. At 97g we thought it felt too flimsy and plasticky for a device that would be capable of producing good quality clips. However this look certainly doesn't reflect well on the camcorder's capabilities. There's no complicated setup needed, it's simply a case of sliding the front cover off and inserting the two AA batteries needed to power the Flip Digital Video Camera, then you can start shooting. The Flip Digital Video Camera's very few buttons are large and responsive despite the pint-sized camcorders dimensions, so we found the Flip simple and easy to use. The Flip Digital Video Camera's 2GB internal memory is capable of capturing up to one hour of footage at a resolution of 640x480 in MPEG 4 format while the 2x optical zoom is clear and concise. You can view your video clips on the Flip Digital Video Camera's 1.5in display. Alternatively, you can use the Flip's integral USB connector that ‘flips' out at the touch of a button. While the USB connector is a great idea and removes the need for cables, the mechanism seemed flimsy and we suspect that it may break quite quickly. We simply plugged the Flip Digital Video Camera into a USB port and we were then able to view and save the clips, email them to friends and family, upload them to a web page and even edit them into a movie complete with soundtrack using the software, which is pre-loaded onto the device. Colours in the video clips we captured were bright and clear and we found the Flip also lived up to its claims that it ex-

cels in low-light conditions. We love the fact that it automatically turns itself off if left unused for more than a minute, conserving precious minutes of the Flip Digital Video Camera's 2.5 hour battery life. The Flip is available in several different colour schemes, and comes bundled with a TV connector cable, wrist strap, carry case and two AA batteries.

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Pictorial

A J o u r n a l O f T he E n g i n ee r i n g S t u d e n t s A ss o c i at i o n , U n i v e r s i t y O f N a i r o b i

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1. Daniel Kibe of Comtec Networks gives a speech during the career day 2. David Kiania of Ericsson has a chat with students at the Ericsson Career Day 3. Kayamba entertain guests at the IEK Dinner 4. EIC(Electronics and ICT club) group photo 5. Edward Obiko adresses the press at Microsoft Imagine Cup Launch 6. No bwana! we want our money! 7. Fun fun and more fun, at the source of river nile jinja 8. Dr. Kamau Gachigi and Vincent Musau set up the Fab Computers 9. Students campaigning for a candidate aboard a Matatu in CBD 10. Drinks at the Kampala Museum. 11. Group photo at makerere university 12. Students follow proceedings during the EIC organized Engineering career day 13. Ingoho does wonders, Mr. Editor-in-Chief, at IEK Dinner

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A J o u r n a l O f T he E n g i n ee r i n g S t u d e n t s A ss o c i at i o n , U n i v e r s i t y O f N a i r o b i

Finito

Habwe Josiah We are assured of fairness and justice in our dealings with the law no more than we are assured of fairness and justice in our prospective business ventures, or dealings with prospective employers. The government is this country’s single largest employer. There will always be that question at the back of your mind as to whether you missed that government job because the prospective employer did not like the ring of your last name or that he/she gravitated ‘home’ in his/her appointment.

What Americas Hope Means To Kenya O

n a trip to the US in late 2007, I was privileged to visit arguably, the world’s capital city-New York. Pristine. A world apart, literally from Nairobi. On my return home, I was asked to describe the essence of New York, and by extension, the United States. I went in deep repose hoping to capture that nation’s entirety in a singular anecdote-as that was what was required of me. In retrospect, I feel that my response then was informed more by the goings-on in my country than the exceptional experience I had in the ‘land of opportunity’.

This particular sentiment was, and largely remains, apart from my conscious world view. I did not have much for politics. Famously refrained as ‘a dirty game’, I chose not to relate or involve myself in a cause that unabashedly described itself as ‘dirty’. And this is the case for many young people, growing up and seeking to make for themselves what their parents didn’t for them.

Ideally, government ought to be the custodian and spring of policy that guides us and ensures an environment conducive for economic growth. To discuss the government’s failures as regards spurring economic growth, or spurring industry and technologybased growth so as to ensure more opportunities for say, Engineers, will require more space than my editor would allow. Our politics sinks us to new lows. Lowering our expectations and eventually lowering our aspirations. We end up desolate. Hopeless. The reason why, oceans away, one man has electrified and inspired a whole country and the world, is not because of his impeccable record (for he has none as long as his opponent’s) but is because he brings forth an aspect as intangible as it is priceless. An aspect synonymous with his very self-Hope for Change. To many people, he represents the idealism of politics. Politics as it should be.

Truth is, though, now as I sit and reflect, politics is in our daily lives. It is in the price of bread and milk that you buy in the morning, in the determination of policy and opportunity, in the relations you have with friends and certainly is on your TV screens every night-bestowed prime time. Be it world politics or Kenyan politics-it is all in our faces.

This is what as a country, we need. Hope. Hope for meaningful positive change. I fear though, that we are so sunken that our otherwise innate ability to hope for a better tomorrow has been lost. Instead we are anxious of our present and skeptical of the tidings the future might bear.

As a Kenyan, Final Year Student at the University of Nairobi, I fear for the implications politics will have on my life as I step out of the cocoon that is school life. At this moment in our nation’s history, more than any other time, we find ourselves more polarized along ethno-class lines than ever before.

And perhaps, rightly so. Appreciating the weighty bearing that politics has on our lives-and specifically us who will soon be graduating. That your name could stir up resentment on the basis of the happenings of early 2008 year, so much so as to cost you an opportunity

As a country we were going through an extremely exciting time. Edgy. Uncertain. Apprehensive. And I believed then, that we were on the verge of true Change. And so, my response as to what I thought the US meant to me was that it was a place where there existed harmonic co-existence between entrepreneurship and politics. The two so intricately intertwined, representing the possibilities that both could ideally generate.

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you are undoubtedly ripe for, scares stiff. Stark reality, this. Forty years after independence we are still unable to galvanize ourselves as a people. Our very nationhood was put to the test by the strife that was the bitter election process, and failed. Little wonder though, we are unable to galvanize a country behind issue based and results oriented leadership, growth, technological advancement and eventual opportunity for new graduates. Still, we wear our blue and orange stripes beneath our white shirts months after the division that tore us apart. The slightest disagreement sending us receding to the confines and constraints of our restrictive tribal cocoons. This, highlighting the degree of misguided distrust amongst ourselves. An Achilles’ heel in our quest for advancement. Such is the perversion of politics in our national fabric. And the intrigues of fate! That oceans away a seed of Kenya is inspiring nations; revolutionizing the brand ‘politics’ ; transcending race, class lines and tribe whilst at home we suffer stifling politics puts us, as a nation, at crossroads with destiny. And for this reason alone, if not for any other, we must begin to demand delivery, accountability and raise the bar on the standards that must be met by our own political breed. And that the most talented young people begin to view politics as a means to a fundamentally better end. Not just in terms of ‘What can I accomplish for myself?’ but in terms of ‘What can I accomplish for my country?’ A means to positive meaningful and tangible change. And not shun it for the murk that it is. Then we shall begin to anticipate good tidings. For nations are spurred by hope. Ours must be reclaimed. And yet, the Coup de Grace’. The curtain call. The final walk off Campus. My time is now, I- fully aware that in the dark all cats are grey and that from this vantage point, my vision has never been a blur. I’m off to reclaim that hope. A product of my time I am, I know. I know. The odds stacked against me. I’m just a Fifth year, a Fifth year taking his final breath. I curtsey.

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